Sunny and Warmer
What I have been working on lately . . .
This . . .
Golden Bamboo & Kwan Yin ~ 16 X 20 inches ~ Mixed Media on Canvas
and this . . .
Gathering ideas for my next collage project ~
and this sketch of a dream I had . . .
I am going to sit with this for a while, before deciding whether to create a painting or just leave it in my journal. The dream was strange and I want to process the imagery more fully.
The sun has returned for a couple of days along with warmer weather, and I’m feeling the sap rise ~ as the sun kisses my face. A perfect day for a walk by my beloved creek . . . xo
thought for the day:
“Participating in the creation of art is like being one element in a process of improvisation, where a brushstroke responds to a color, and a shape evokes a texture.” Eileen Ross
Happy New Year
1st January. Early in the morning, the sky is gloomy and gray with rain. As I drink my tea, I find myself trying to ignore the chaos of boxes stacked behind my chair as I write this post.
Over the holidays, I finally unpacked most of my art supplies. I’m still in the process of organizing everything and trying to figure out where some of my brushes disappeared to? … lol
Our new place is smaller so I carved out a little niche for myself in our bedroom for my art table & supplies. It’s nice and cozy!
I’m sketching and painting for the first time in ages, and feeling better for getting back into the swing of things.
Sketch of Kuan Yin Lamp – Tombow Mono 100 # 2B & #3B
Morning Warm Up – Digital using Painter 7
Star Of The Sea
Star Of The Sea – Mixed Media – 5 x 7 inches – Work in progress
This morning I started working on an idea I had for a painting inspired by seashells I found in a box while rummaging through our garage.
There were tiny starfish no bigger than the tip of my little finger and seashells of every shape and color imaginable. I also found sea glass, tiny round stones, dried sea grass and a cornucopia of treasures I had gathered on one of our seaside visits.
I felt like a little girl who had found a magical treasure box!
Over the years I have found beautiful pieces of driftwood, and an odd assortment of sea shells, and sea onions for art projects, and as reference material for sketches.
I love the way sea onions look when dried and they are great for making rattles and little wizened magical creatures.
thoughts for the day;
“Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.” -Loren Eiseley
“Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.” – Robert Henri
The Downtown Farmer’s Market
We went to the Downtown Farmer’s Market last night and purchased some yummy peaches and nectarines. It was fun walking through the market admiring all the artwork, jewelry, plants and fresh produce for sale.
There was a sea of people that stretched as far as the eyes could see. We listened to musicians playing on the sidewalk, children laughing, and saw a belly dancer balance a sword on her head as she danced. . . Quite a feast for the eyes & ears!
thought for the day;
“Many organic practices simply make sense, regardless of what overall agricultural system is used. Far from being a quaint throwback to an earlier time, organic agriculture is proving to be a serious contender in modern farming and a more environmentally sustainable system over the long term.” – David Suzuki
Monday
I spent most of the day cleaning our mud room. I put away all the umbrellas and raincoats, and removed all the little odds and ends that seemed to have made their way there. It felt really good to get rid of all the clutter!
Here are a couple of preliminary sketches for an illustration I am working on. I will share more of the story behind this project later on. Right now, all I want to do is eat dinner, watch a movie and then go to bed.
“This is a work of fiction. All the characters in it, human and otherwise, are imaginary, excepting only certain of the fairy folk, whom it might be unwise to offend by casting doubts on their existence. Or lack thereof.” – Neil Gaiman
The Cracked Pot
Cracked Water Pot – Mixed Media – 10 x 10 inches
The Cracked Pot
Once upon a time there was a man whose job was to bring water from the stream to his Master’s house. The man carried the water from the stream in two clay pots. He hung the pots on each end of a pole, which he carried across his shoulders, to and from the stream many times a day.
One of the clay pots was perfect in every way for its purpose. The other pot was exactly like the first one, but it had a crack in it and it leaked. When the water bearer reached his Master’s house, the perfect pot was always full, and the cracked pot was always half full.
The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, and it boasted loudly. It criticized the cracked pot for its failures, and reminded it that despite his efforts, the water bearer could only deliver half a pot of water due to his cracks. The poor cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfections, and was miserable that it could only accomplish half of what it was supposed to do.
One day the cracked pot spoke to the water bearer. “I want to apologize to you. Because of my cracked side I’ve only been able to deliver half of the water to your Master’s home, and you don’t get the full value from your efforts.”
The water bearer smiled on the cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the Master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”
Indeed as they climbed the path from the river to the Master’s mansion the cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful flowers along one side of the path, and it felt somewhat brighter. But when they reached their destination and the water in the half-empty pot was poured out, his sadness returned. “Thank you for trying to cheer me up with the beautiful flowers, water bearer,” The pot spoke. ” But I still must apologize for my failure.”
The water bearer said, “Dear pot, you haven’t understood what I was trying to show you. Did you notice that the flowers only grew on your side of the path? That’s because of your crack. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and everyday as we walked from the stream the water that leaks from your pot has watered them. I could have got a new pot, but I preferred to gather the flowers, and with them to bless many tables.”
– Author Unknown
A Wandering mind
Sketches – Etc …
Today, I had a hard time focusing on anything but the gorgeous weather just outside my window. I did do a couple of sketches from a magazine I got in the mail this morning, but that was it.
As hard as I tried, my mind kept wandering so I finally gave up and surrendered to the sunshine that kept inviting me out to play. It was a beautiful day to be out in the fresh air!
“What fire could ever equal the sunshine of a winter’s day?” —Henry David Thoreau
New Fabriano Artist’s Journal
Today I received a new Fabriano Art Journal from my husband. I had filled up my other sketch books and needed a new one. What a wonderful gift!
Here is a sketch of a Fairy l did this morning and I should be able to finish it over the next couple of days. Maybe I can add some small animals, like foxes or rabbits trailing behind the elf.
Sketch – Pencil, Charcoal & Ink – 4 1/2 X 6 1/2 inches
Tuesdays Are Perfect for…..
…tea in my favorite teacup & a little sketching.
Female Head
Figure & head studies
Dreaming the Polar Bear
Last night I had a dream of a polar bear looking deeply into my eyes. There was no aggression or fear attached to the dream.
The polar bear gave me the impression it was trying to communicate something very important, but all I could focus on was the fact that I was looking at a polar bear.
I’ve had previous dreams of black bears mainly because of an encounter with one as a young adult, and as a child I had several dreams of a brown bear chasing me. On the advice of my mother, I made friends with it and the dreams stopped. Otherwise my bear dreams have been mostly positive.
I was told that dreams of bears may represent our need to attune ourselves with the energies of the earth, helping us heal the imbalances within our bodies and spirit. To look within ourselves for the answers we seek and embrace the cycle of life, death and renewal, which is easier said than done.
Here is a sketch of the polar bear from my dream.
Bear, Owl & Wolf Sketches